I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to spinal surgery and, more particularly, to a device for spinal fusion comprising a spinal fusion implant to be inserted into the cervical, thoracic or lumbar disc spaces.
II. Discussion of the Prior Art
Approximately 500,000 lumbar and cervical fusion procedures are performed each year in the United States to correct problems with displaced, damaged, or degenerated intervertebral discs due to trauma, disease, or aging. Commonly, spinal fusion procedures involve removing some or the all of a diseased or damaged vertebral disc followed by insertion of an implant into the evacuated disc space.
Anterior lumbar intervertebral-body fusion (ALIF) procedures present one manner of gaining surgical access to an affected vertebral joint. The ALIF technique involves approaching the spine through the abdomen, as opposed to approaching from the patient's side or back. Most commonly ALIF procedures result in the implantation of a disc space insert. Once introduced, the implant serves to restore disc space height and promote fusion across the affected joint, creating a long term solution designed to reduce if not eliminate neural impingement arising from an affected disc.
Multiple implant designs are currently used in conjunction with the ALIF procedure. Of the implant designs in existence, the most commonly used ALIF disc space implant design comprises a disc space insert dimensioned to fit entirely within and maintain disc space height and promote fusion across the affected vertebral joint.
While insertion of a single disc space implant residing entirely within the disc space is widely accepted and utilized, occasionally the demands of a given affected joint require supplemental implant support. It is not uncommon, for example, for a plate (spanning over the disc space and coupled to the adjacent vertebral bodies) to be used to augment the support provided by the interbody implant. Although introduction of multiple implants has been successfully used to treat spinal malformations, other spinal procedures benefit from the use of a permanently configured, single appliance to achieve the functionality provided by an implant/plate combination.
Various efforts have been undertaken in the prior art at providing combination implants comprised of an interbody region coupled with a “plate” region configured to affix the implant to adjacent vertebral bodies. While the present combination implants are generally effective, there nonetheless exists a need for improved combination implants.